No doubt about it: It’s been a rough go of late. Water damage in the house due to rain and flooding; extreme parenting challenges; temptations from seemingly every angle. Just feel like throwing my hands up and walking…

REALLY didn’t want to lead the corporate prayer at church this morning, which I’d agreed to do three weeks ago. Seriously – I didn’t even want to go to church. Didn’t want to talk to God.

Then on the way to church, Stephanie puts on a CD. The artist: Hezekiah Walker. The song: Jesus is my Help. The Scripture focus: Psalm 121: 1 & 2. I life up mine eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth. So we get to church and I am still grumpy, but there’s a glimmer of hope. Just enough to get through the prayer in front of 200 people; to be transparent. To hurt in public.

God gets glorified and others are encouraged. I continue to tread water. Hope.

Tomorrow (Simcoe Day here in Ontario), please pray. Between 12:30 and 3:00, I will provide a pre-game chapel for two football teams, the defending Grey Cup Champion B.C. Lions, as well as our Toronto Argonauts (12:30 & 2:30 respectively). These chapels will reach aproximately thirty-five to forty football players, coaches and staff.

The theme will be a reminder that often life’s most important lessons and values are caught, not taught. You know, the sermon isn’t what people hear, but what they see. It is going to be awesome. Please pray for these meetings, as well as for safety for both teams when they kick-off at SkyDome at 5:00.

Also, on Monday in my first blog-posting, I asked you to pray for our Argos player chapel reps, Trevor Harris and Jasper Simmons. Well if you can believe it, no more than seventy-two hours later, Jasper was released by the team. It was very disappointing for many of us, but sudden moves are a part of pro sports (a part that I don’t always appreciate) and now we move on. Jasper was extremely gracious and digested the disappointing news with great maturity, realizing immediately that the LORD would take care of him. Please pray for God’s favour and continued hand of peace on Jasper’s life.

Well isn’t this something. Blogging as a means of communication! I supose it is time that I caught up with a significant percentage of the internet based world eh?

I returned this past Friday from Vancouver, where I had spent the better part of five days at our Power to Change (P2C) staff conference, with roughly 350 other P2C fellow labourers from across Canada. The theme of the conference was ‘Inspire Multiplication’, reminding us that being a Christian, while wonderful, is also about passing our faith on to others. Asking, “How can I multiply myself, as well as others over whom I have an influence for Christ?”

It was a great time of learning (Pastor Jeff Bucknam of Northview Community Church in Abbotsford was the conference key-note speaker), fellowship (many people to catch up with!) and opportinities to explore downtown Vancouver. My highlites were walking and running along the seawall in Stanley Park, swimming in the Pacific Ocean and a three hour boat tour of the Pacific’s Indian Arm waters on a gorgeous, clear summer evening.

Now, it’s back to our regular ministry with the Toronto Argos, who, after defeating Montreal on Friday (In Montreal!), currently sit tied for 1st place in the C.F.L.’s East Division with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; both teams possessing a 3-2 record. Please continue to pray for this powerful, ongoing initiative, as I host weekly Bible studies (one for players and another for coaches), pre-game chapels and build relationships with the team’s players and staff.

In particular, plesae pray for Trevor Harris and Jasper Simmons, two tremendous young men (and influencers) who are my player chapel representatives this season. As committed Christians who have accepted this leadership role, they have made a statement to their teammates about Who they represent, and their walk must back up their talk. Satan will want to tackle them and have them compromise their ways, but our prayers and our LORD are stronger.

Thanks folks & until my next post (Ha! I have to get used to that) God bless you!